Apparatus for making shoes



June 14, 1966 H. HARDY APPARATUS FOR MAKING SHOES Filed Dec. 23, 1963INVENTOR. E6222 Jar BY j M 44 flir w m'r'y:

Unitcd States Patent 3,255,491 APPARATUS FOR MAKING SHOES Henry Hardy,Cambridge, Mass., assignor to International Vulcanizing Corporation,Boston, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Dec. 23, 1963, Ser.No. 332,593 2 Claims. (Cl. 18-17) This application is acontinuation-in-part of my abandoned application Serial No. 28,763,filed May 12, 1960, and abandoned December 29, 1963.

This invention relates to attaching bottoms to shoes and more especiallyto attaching moldable bottom-forming material to lasted uppers byvulcanizing or injection molding.

In my Patent No. 2,878,523, dated March 24, 1959, there is shownapparatus for attaching bottoms to shoes comprising a pair ofdiametrically disposed lasts mounted on a shaft for rotation of one ofthe lasts into a position above a mold in readiness to be presseddownwardly into engagement therewith, and the other to a position abovethe shaft for assembly of an upper thereon, and means for raising andlowering the shaft to press the last, at the underside of the shaft,into engagement with the mold during attachment of the bottom and .todisengage the finished shoe from the mold following attachment. Whenattaching a bottom blank by vulcanization, it is desirable to preheatthe bottom of the upper and/or the blank to shorten the time required toeffect attachment and/ or to activate adhesive, stiffening agents, andthe like, applied to the bottom. When attaching a bottom by injecting aliquid bottom-forming composition into the mold beneath the upper, it isdesirable to preheat the upper to prevent premature cooling duringinjection which might interfere with uniformly filling the mold orcompletion of filling and also to activate adhesive or stiffeningmaterials applied to the entire bottom or to parts thereof.

In accordance with the invention a heating member having a flatheat-radiating surface is mounted above the bottom of the last, situatedabove the supporting shaft, by means which permits universal movement ofthe fiat radiating surface relative to the bottom of the last. Thesupporting means comprises a ball and socket coupling secured to thedistal end of an arm disposed in a horizontal position substantiallyparallel to the bottom of the last,

the arm being supported for swinging movement in aplane parallel to thebottom of the last about an axis perpendicular thereto situated at oneend of the last; for movement to and from the bottom of the last; andfor movement of the coupling on the arm radially with respect to itspivot axis thus enabling positioning the radiating surface over any partor all of the surface of the bottom at any desired distance therefromand at any angle.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference tothe accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevation of the mold apparatus to which the presentinvention is applied, showing the heating member supported above theuppermost one of the lasts and a sole blank resting on the bottom of thelast to enable preheating of both the bottom of the upper and the soleblank, showing the heating member in positions parallel to and inclinedlengthwise of the bottom of the last and in positions close to andfurther from the bottom of the last;

FIG. 2 is an end elevation showing the heating member in positionsparallel to and inclined crosswise of the bottom of the last;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the heating member shown disposed lengthwise ofthe bottom of the last;

3,255,491 Patented June 14, 196 6 FIG. 4 is a plan view of the heatingmember shown disposed crosswise of the bottom of the last atthe toe orheel;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the heating member shown rotated to dispose adiagonal lengthwise of the last; and

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the heating member disposed in positions abovethe bottom of the last and at'either side thereof.

Referring to the drawings (FIG. 1), the molding apparatus comprisesessentially a mold 10 and a horizontal-- ly disposed shaft 12 mounted onsupports 14-14 for movement heightwise of the mold and for rotationabout its horizontal axis. Heightwise movement of the-shaft is effectedby means of a handle 16 and rotation of the shaft is effected by meansof a handle 18, as fully explained in the aforesaid patent.

A pair of lastsL are mounted at diametrically disposed positions on theshaft 12 so that when one of the lasts is in a position above the shaft,the other is situated below the shaft directly above the mold. An upperU is mounted on the last at the upper side of the shaft whereupon theshaft is rotated to bring it into a position directly above the mold andthen it is lowered into engagement with the mold for attachment of abottom, in the form of an outsole, thereto. The upper is drawn tightlyonto the last by string lasting or if an insole is employed isforcelasted thereon.

The outsole may be formed either by a blank which may be placed in themold cavity prior to lowering the upper into enagement with the open topof the mold for forming and vulcanizing to the bottom by heat andpressure, or by injecting a liquid bottom-forming composition into themold beneath the bottom of the upper after it has been brought intoengagement with the open top of the mold so as to fill the mold-theattachment being effected by cooling and setting of the liquid plasticwhile held intimately engaged with the bottom of the upper. In eithermode of attaching a bottom to the upper, it is desirable to preheat thebottom of the upper prior to the attachment of the bottom thereto. Whena sole blank is to be attached by vulcanizing the preheating lessens thetime required to effect vulcanization. If desired and in accordance withthe practice shown herein, the sole blank may also be heated to expeditethe vulcanization process. Where the bottom is to be formed of a hotplastic injected into the mold, the preheating of the bottom preventspremature cooling and setting thereby insuring complete filling of themold. In each mode of attaching bottoms, it may be desirable to apply anadhesive and stiffening material at the toe or heel and when this is thecase preheating of the portions of the bottom to which the adhesive hasbeen applied is desirable to effect its activation preparatory toattaching the bottom, and preheating of the stiffened areas is desirableto insure conformation of the bottom to the last during thebottom-attaching operation. Thus, it is desirable to be able to heat theentire bottom or portions of the bottom and to apply the heat uniformlyor in different amounts.

This is accomplished herein by means of a flat, sub stantiallyrectangular heating member 20 disposed above the bottom of the lastwhich is at'the upper side of the shaft 12 and supported in thisposition at the distal end of a horizontally disposed arm 22 by auniversal coupling in the form of a ball and socket joint 24. The arm 22is preferably jointed, having telescoping portions 22a and 22badjustable relative to each other to permit movement of the heatingmember lengthwise with respect to the bottom of the last. A thumb screw220 provides for fixing the telescoping parts in a selected position ofthe heating member. The proximal end of the arm 22 is joined to theupper end of a rod 26 which rises perpendicularly from a socket member28 fastened to the support 14. The axis of the rod is perpendicular andthe rod is rotatable about its axis in the socket so as to permitswinging the heating member transversely of the bottom of the last. Aset screw 30, threaded through the wall of the socket against the rod26, provides for fixing its position. The socketed end of the rod 26also permits vertical adjustment of the heating member relative to thebottom of the last so as to move the heating member further from thebottom or closer to the bottom as desired.

As thus supported, the heating member may be tilted by means of the balland socket connection 24 to place the heating surface in parallelismwith the bottom of the last or at an angle thereto and rotate itrelative to the bottom of the last to dispose it lengthwise of the lastor crosswise thereof, or at any desired angle therebetween; it may bemoved lengthwise of the last by means of telescoping portions 22a, 22bto dispose it opposite one end in preference to the other; it may beswung transversely of the bottom about the vertical axis of the rod 26to move it to one side or the other of the bottom to facilitate mountingor removing the upper or shoe from the last; and it may be movedvertically relative to the bottom of the last to permit positioning theheater further from or closer to the bottom so as to vary the quantityof heat.

The essential aspect of the heating member is that it producessubstantially uniform heating in a common plane hence, although theheater illustrated herein is physically flat and rectangular ingeometry, it' is not limited to such a shape. The term fiat radiatingsurface is used for convenience only and it is intended to designate anyheating member which generates parallel heat rays perpendicular to acommon plane so as to produce substantially uniform heating throughoutthe area of its projection.

As herein illustrated, additional advantages may be obtained by makingthe heat-radiating surface rectangular in shape and dimensioning it sothat its length approximately equals the length of an average shoe andits width equals approximately the width of an average shoe. As thusconstructed, by rotating the heating member to place its diagonallengthwise of the last, it may be used for heating the bottom of largerthan average shoes without having to be replaced by a larger heatingmember.

The heating member has a flat radiating surface and is designed togenerate long wave lengths in the infrared region to effect deeppenetration heating of the upper material and/ or sole blank.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purposeof illustration only and that this invention includes all modificationsand equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a bottom-attaching apparatus comprising a bottommold, a heating member, a last movable from a position for applying anupper thereto to a position in engagement with the bottom mold forattaching of an outsole to the upper; means supporting said heatingmember spaced from and opposite the bottom of the last at the place ofapplication of the upper thereto, said heating member having anexclusively fiat heat-radiating surface, and said means supporting theheating member comprising a ball and socket joint permitting universaladjustment of the plane of the radiating surface of the heating memberrelative to the bottom of the last, means supporting said ball andsocket joint for arcuate movement in both vertical and horizontal planesand for moving said planes horizontally and vertically, said meanscomprising a vertical cylindrical rod mounted for rotary and verticalmovement, said rod having a horizontally extending portion, a one-pieceangular arm having a horizontal portion and a downwardly bent portion,said horizontal portion having a cylindrical socket receiving saidhorizontal extending portion of said rod and said downwardly bentportion terminating in said ball and socket joint.

2. The combination with a bottom-attaching apparatus comprising a bottommold, a last movable from a position for applying an upper thereto to aposition in engagement with the bottom mold for attachment of an outsoleto the upper; a heating member and means supporting the heating memberspaced from and opposite the bottom of the last at the place of applyingthe upper thereto, said heating member having an exclusively flatheatradiating surface and said supporting means comprising a universalcoupling to which the heating member is fastened, said universalcoupling to which the heating member is fastened, comprising an armsupporting the coupling above the bottom of the last, said arm havingextendable portions enabling moving the heating member lengthwise of thebottom, one of said extendable portions being horizontal and ofone-piece with a downwardly extending angular portion terminating insaid universal coupling, a post opposite an end of the last to which thearm is secured, said post being substantially perpendicular to thebottom of the last, and means supporting the post for rotation about itslongitudinal axis to permit moving the heating member transversely ofthe bottom of the last and for vertical movement along its axis topermit movement of the heating member toward and away from the bottom ofthe last, and said universal coupling permitting rocking of theradiating surface relative to the bottom of the last and rotationrelative to the bottom of the last.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,718,485 6/1929OSullivan 18l8 2,144,582 l/1939 Barna.

2,581,608 1/1952. Slatkin 18-18 FOREIGN PATENTS 826,379 1/ 1960 GreatBritain.

J. SPENCER OVERHOLSER, Primary Examiner. MICHAEL V. BRINDISI, MARCUS U.LYONS,

Examiners.

J. H. FLINT, Assistant Examiner.

1. THE COMBINATION WITH A BOTTOM-ATTACHING APPARATUS COMPRISING A BOTTOMMOLD, A HEATING MEMBER, A LAST MOVABLE FROM A POSITION FOR APPLYING ANUPPER THERETO TO A POSITION IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE BOTTOM MOLD FORATTACHING OF AN OUTSOLE TO THE UPPER; MEANS SUPPORTING SAID HEATINGMEMBER SPACED FROM AND OPPOSITE THE BOTTOM OF THE LAST AT THE PLACE OFAPPLICATION OF THE UPPER THERETO, SAID HEATING MEMBER HAVING ANEXCLUSIVELY FLAT HEAT-RADIATING SURFACE, AND SAID MEANS SUPPORTING THEHEATING MEMBER COMPRISING A BALL AND SOCKET JOINT PERMITTING UNIVERSALADJUSTMENT OF THE PLANE OF THE RADIATING SURFACE OF THE HEATING MEMBERRELATIVE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE LAST, MEANS SUPPORTING SAID BALL ANDSOCKET JOINT FOR ARCUATE MOVEMENT IN BOTH VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL PLANESAND FOR MOVING SAID PLANES HORIZONTALLY AND VERTICALLY, SAID MEANSCOMPRISING A VERTICAL CYLINDRICAL ROD MOUNTED FOR ROTARY AND VERTICALMOVEMENT, SAID ROD HAVING A HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING PORTION, A ONE-PECEANGULAR ARM HAV-